I have read very little Chinese history, and knew little about Mao and the context of his life before reading this book. I therefore have very little to compare it to, and against which to assess Philip Short's approach to the subject.

Accepting that caveat, this is a very readable narrative covering Mao's life and from his family background through to his death in 1976. As a by-product it tells the story of China through the end of imperial China, the rule of the nationalists and Chiang Kai Shek, and the eventual victory of the communists.

Short narrates the horrors of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution with an awareness of the devastating impact, but without slipping into polemic. This contributes to his overall assessment too, where Short reaches what seems like a reasonable balance between highlight the massive loss of life and devastation in China against the dramatic changes brought about by Mao and how it contributes to the development of modern China.

Overall a good introduction, very readable, and despite the size it does not feel over long.

This was my summer 2022 book

this book. was so thick